No one takes the crown from the king. On Wednesday night, Don Omar delivered a high-energy, career-spanning celebration as part of his Back to Reggaeton tour stop in Los Angeles. During a nearly two-hour, 40-song show at the Kia Forum, Don Omar delivered a set filled with old-school perreo while also paying tribute to the artists that paved the way for him.
Don Omar, draped in a leather coat with red fur, hit the stage sitting atop a massive silver skull throne. He was surrounded by a dozen dancers and visuals that presented him as a pirate king. He opened the concert with some of his early 2000s classics, bringing fans to their feet with “Dale Don Dale,” his Héctor El Father collab “Ronca,” and a snippet of his Daddy Yankee collaboration “Sácala.”
Don Omar often took moments between songs to acknowledge the crowd. His first speech was dedicated. to the celebrity guests in the crowd, including Dog Whisperer César Millán, whom he described as his “superhero.” He also shouted out the rapper Snow Tha Product. “You have a fan here who adores what you’re doing, how you’re doing it, and who you are,” he said pointing at the Mexican American artist. “God bless you, girl.”
The acknowledgments continued in the middle of the show, when he celebrated some of the biggest names in reggaeton, including the ones who played a role shaping the genre with him. He first performed a mashup of his Héctor y Tito collaborations “Baila Morena” and “Amor de Colegio,” sharing how the duo changed his life. “If it weren’t for those men who gave me the chance, I probably wouldn’t have the life I have now,” he said.
He shouted out Luny Tunes, using their track “Reggaetón Latino” to call for unity among Latinos “in a country like this that tries to divide us.” Later, he transported fans back to the MySpace days by performing his Wisín y Yandel collaborations. He ended his tribute segment by celebrating his longtime rival Daddy Yankee.
Jonathan Melendez*
“He started before I started making music. You can’t cover the sun with one hand,” he said. “For the last 30 years, this genre has had a musical exponent named Raymond Ayala, whom you know as the King of Reggaeton Daddy Yankee.” Behind him, as he played “Gata Gangster” and “Desafío,” a visual of a chessboard focused in on the two king pieces, showcasing how perhaps two kings can rule over the game at once. (The duo squashed their decades-old feud in December.)
For the last handful of tracks, the crowd went wild as Don Omar performed his most massive hits back-to-back. First, there was 2003’s “Dile,” which ended with massive applause. Then Don Omar cued his DJ to play 2006’s “Cuéntale.” He hit the crowd with another banger with “Mayor Que Yo.” But the biggest highlight was “Ella y Yo” as the crowd filled in for Romeo Santos’ verses. (It was hard not to think of Romeo and Don Omar’s iconic fake-fight performance at Madison Square Garden from 2007.)
Don Omar’s show was filled with fans of all ages — from couples in their mid-20s perreando to every song to solteras yelling the lyrics to “Quien La Vio Llorar to 40-something-year-old ladies in Zumba gear ready for the Brazilian-funk tracks at the end of his set. With colorful lights and confetti raining over the crowd, Don Omar ended his show with “Taboo” and, of course, his classic “Danza Kuduro,” featuring Lucenzo.
“Thank you,” Don Omar said looking into the crowd, before going offstage for his encore. “Because I’m gonna be back for more.” When you’re Don Omar and have era-defining hits like he does, your reign never ends.
